More Than Coffee
by silverdragon77
Summary: When Kurt goes on Spring Break with the rest of New Directions, Blaine shows up at Burt's garage, not knowing what to do with himself in Kurt's absence.
1. Monday

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or any of the characters. I do not make any money from this.

* * *

"Mr. Hummel?" The semi-familiar voice of his son's friend startled Burt from his work on the Chevy under his hands.

It was a voice he recognized, usually at his front door before his son disappeared to another musical, or to go shopping, or to go get coffee; and speaking of coffee, there was Blaine, with a cup of coffee in each hand.

Blaine shuffled a little, giving off an air of being unsettled, Burt decided, perhaps a little scared.

"Blaine," Burt nodded, "something I can do for you?" He asked as he wiped his hands off on a towel. Blaine did a little half dance as though he were reconsidering his presence before he offered up one of the cups to Burt.

"Coffee," Blaine managed to declare and the teenager smiled as though that explained his appearance in Burt's garage. Burt took the cup from Blaine's hand.

"Thanks. Is everything okay? You aren't here to talk to me about sex again, are you, because I did what I could and—,"

"No, sir. I just," Blaine stared at the cup in his hand and bit his lip. "Kurt and I always get coffee together after school." Blaine seemed completely lost when his eyes met Burt's and Burt almost felt sorry for the kid.

"I'm guessing you guys aren't on break yet."

"No, not till next week." Blaine shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding or anything, it's just…this is the longest I've gone without talking to Kurt since…well, since we met," Blaine finished, his tone vaguely bitter. Burt watched a hundred different emotions rush across Blaine's face and he marveled at the emotional depth the teen was able to display so casually.

"It's okay. You know, he's in Florida, not Antarctica. You can call him," Burt teased.

"I-I don't want to do that. He's on vacation and he just went back to McKinley a few weeks ago. If he wants to talk to me, he'll call." Blaine shrugged. Burt didn't protest, though he knew that Kurt was probably waiting for Blaine to call as much as Blaine seemed to be waiting for Kurt.

Burt wondered what that said about them. He knew that Kurt liked Blaine in a romantic way, but he still wasn't sure about Blaine. Even if Blaine had overstepped the last time he was in Burt's garage, Burt had to give him props. He knew the boy must, at least, care a great deal for his son to have to come to him like that.

"Do you mind if I stay for a little bit?"

"Sure, pull up a stool," Burt finally took a sip of his coffee, he could see why Kurt was so addicted to it, though he had a feeling Kurt's addiction had more to do with the boy now perched on a stool a few feet from Burt than with coffee.

Blaine's eyes roamed over the garage and Burt went back to working under the hood.

"So…it's a nice place you've got here." Blaine stated, taking another sip of his coffee. His fingers drummed along the cup and he looked as though he might run away at any second.

"Thanks," Burt responded, soaking in the garage. Truth be told, he was very proud of this place. He had worked so hard after he got out of school at fixing up cars. He hadn't always been terribly responsible and preferred to forget about some of the things he got up to when he was around their age.

He knew Kurt didn't get involved in the kind of shit he did when he was younger, he had always been incredibly mature for his age. It helped that Kurt was gay, in a way, at least he wouldn't knock anyone up. He couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for Carol when they thought that Finn had gotten Quinn pregnant—he would never have to deal with that.

Burt was much more of a wild child, though he had always been responsible when it came to working on cars. He wanted it to be done right and done well. When he met Samantha, his party boy persona slipped away as he fell head over heels in love with her.

He wondered what this Blaine guy was up to, he didn't even know what the two of them did most of the time, just that (usually) Kurt would come home after seeing Blaine and be almost giddy, some kind of happy high that Burt hadn't seen in Kurt in years.

Sure, there had been moments, like when Kurt was going to get to sing that song for Glee club that he kept going on about, moments where Kurt was happy, but that's all they were. They were fleeting, they didn't last.

Aside from a few hiccups, it seemed as though Blaine was the real deal. He made Kurt happy, even if they weren't together in the romantic sense that Burt knew Kurt really wanted.

Burt set down his tools and leaned against the car he was working on.

"Blaine, can you tell me something?" Burt's words seemed to pull the boy out of some sort of reverie.

"Of course, sir." Blaine straightened up, his eyes curious.

"What exactly….what do you guys do together? You and Kurt." Burt wasn't sure if he actually wanted to know the answer especially if…

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you two get together practically every day. What do you even talk about? Most of the time, I don't even know where to begin with him."

"Oh," Blaine smiled a little bit. "We talk about…. everything. Music, theater, fashion, though he knows far more about fashion than I ever will."

Burt nodded, thinking that made sense. Kurt was a bit of a fashion diva or whatever they were called. Both of them drank more of their coffee, neither sure where to go from there.

"We talk about you, well, he talks about you a fair amount," Blaine admitted. Burt spluttered over his coffee.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he worries about you a lot." Blaine observed the frown that curled Burt's lips downward.

"He worries about me? I don't want that. Kid's got enough on his plate as it is."

"I know, he knows that too. After the heart attack though, he just worries. I think logically he understands. You have Carol and he's been so good with you, trying to make sure you eat right, but it's still there. The emotional part of him. He doesn't want to lose you."

Burt considered Blaine's words. He hadn't really thought of it that way. Sure, Kurt had Carol now too, and Burt knew that should anything ever happen to him, she would definitely take care of Kurt, but he…Kurt was so young. He shouldn't have to worry about that kind of thing.

Burt vowed then and there to be better about the diet and not give Kurt such a hard time about what he was made to eat sometimes.

"Thanks for, thanks for telling me."

"Of course, sir," Blaine stated as though Burt were thanking him for giving him the time. Blaine tilted his head towards the coffee cup in Burt's hand. "You know, coffee is known to be good for the heart."

Burt nodded, he had heard that too. The coffee certainly seemed to be good for Kurt's heart, but again thought it had little to do with the caffeine and more to do with the boy Burt was sure cared more about his son than he necessarily realized.

After a few more minutes of stilted conversation, Blaine took off and Burt thanked him again for the coffee. Blaine might be a strange kid; he might not be as put together as others. He might not have as many answers as he might like to project, but he seemed to be a good kid.

Burt smiled a little as he tossed his cup in the trash, noticing for the first time that the name Kurt was scrawled on the side. Blaine must have gotten the coffee before remembering that Kurt was out of town.

Burt wondered how long it had taken the boy to realize that Kurt wasn't coming and what had made him decide to visit Burt instead. Did he really just want to see Kurt that badly, that even seeing Kurt's dad was enough? It seemed to Burt that Blaine might be addicted to something more than coffee too.


	2. Tuesday

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or the characters. I do not make any money from this, though it would be a lot easier to justify writing all this stuff if I did.

* * *

Burt put the conversation out of his mind by the time he got home. He wrote it off as a one-time thing, and like the conversation he'd had with Blaine about sex education, was not something he cared to bring up with Kurt.

He did wonder though if the confused teen had taken his advice and called Kurt. Burt refrained from calling Kurt and asking himself, he would let his son tell him if he wanted to, it wasn't his business.

The next day passed in a flurry of activity, so when four pm rolled around, he hadn't expected another cup of coffee adorning the Lima Bean logo to appear in his line of vision, nor did he expect the boy holding it.

"Back again," Burt stated simply, wiping his hands off on the towel tucked into his belt. Grease and coffee didn't generally go well together. "Thanks for the coffee."

Blaine shrugged and shook his head a little.

"How was your day?" Blaine pulled up the stool from yesterday, reclaiming his perch.

"Busy. It is busy. I'm sorry, I can't really stop to chat."

"It's all right. I mean, I did intrude on your workplace. I hope I'm not a distraction or anything."

"No," Burt shook his head, replacing the cup of coffee in his hand with the screwdriver he needed. "I've just got a lot of work to do."

"Anything I can do to help?" Blaine's expression widened, the image of an overeager puppy flashed through Burt's mind before he filed it away. "I did help my dad with that car."

Burt frowned at that. Blaine had helped his dad build a car, but thought that his father's intentions were to turn him straight, not bond with his son. Burt may not be the most liberal of men or the most open-minded, he tried, he did, but he would never want Kurt to be anything than exactly what he was.

Sure, if Kurt were straight, or liked football, or any number of other things that Burt enjoyed that Kurt didn't, it would certainly make things easier, but he loved his son. Kurt was Kurt, and he could never ask for anything more.

Burt hesitated to say yes, he certainly didn't want to give Blaine the impression that he hoped Blaine would be straight, or to change him in any way. Kids have enough of a hard time figuring themselves out; they didn't need parental pressure to be something they weren't added on top of that.

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to—,"

"No, no, I'd like to help. I know with my dad," Blaine waved his hand vaguely, "it was just…not. It wasn't real, it was more of an act than anything else and he, he wanted me to be something I wasn't. Something I'm not." Blaine shifted on the stool his hand scratching at the back of his neck. "I do like cars."

"Okay, well, then you should change into something more appropriate, wouldn't want to get that uniform dirty." Burt shot Blaine a genuine smile. "Go talk to Jeremy, there's a shirt in my office I think will fit you."

"Thanks." Blaine grinned and shot off the stool, leaving the half-drunk coffee. Burt took another sip of his coffee and looked at the cup, this time 'Burt' was written on the side in black ink.

His lips twitched up appreciation and he returned the cup to his workstation, adjusting his focus back to the car in front of him. Truth be told, he didn't need to be this busy, but he also didn't know how to talk to Blaine.

What were they supposed to talk about? He had a hard enough time trying to talk to Kurt, a boy he'd raised for nearly seventeen years, now there's some other kid he's supposed to make small talk with, a kid he knows virtually nothing about.

If Blaine wanted to help work on the car, that was fine with Burt, he was comfortable with cars.

Cars were predictable. They came with easy fixes, new parts, a little grease here, and an oil change there. People were harder to deal with, even more so when Burt had nothing in common with them.

Kurt…Kurt could be predictable, for the most part. He was like the car Burt re-built after graduating high school. Burt knew all the parts and exactly what he needed to press, how hard or soft to make the car do what he wanted.

It wasn't to say that he could completely control the car; it still broke down on him more than he'd care to admit. It was stubborn and it had a life of its own on occasion. For the most part though, Burt was comfortable with that car. He understood it.

Blaine on the other hand, he was like a shiny new European sports car that arrived without a manual. Burt couldn't get under the hood even if he knew how to open it.

Blaine returned from the back a few minutes later and drew Burt from his comparisons of people and cars. Blaine's fingers traced over the name embroidered on the chest, Kurt's name, but he dropped his hand as soon as he noticed Burt's gaze.

"So, what are we doing?" Blaine beamed at him and shifted his shoulders a little, letting the shirt settle on his small frame.

Forty minutes passed in a flash and Burt was pleasantly surprised to find that not only was Blaine knowledgeable about cars, but also was eager to learn from Burt.

Blaine leaned in as Burt showed him how to install a stereo. Burt handed over the crimp tool and let Blaine take the lead with Burt explaining what to do. The boy furrowed his brow as he picked up the crimp and his tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth as he poured his whole concentration into the act.

When Blaine finished, Burt looked over his handiwork and gave the boy a congratulatory pat on the back.

"Great job, Blaine!" Burt took the crimp tool back from Blaine and set it aside. "I think we're about done here if you want to take a break or head home or anything."

"Thanks," Blaine bit his lower lip and shifted his eyes between Burt and the floor. Burt tilted his head forward, his brow furrowing.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yes, yeah," Blaine struggled to find his words. "That was…nice, different."

Burt nodded and handed him a towel. Usually when Kurt helped around the shop he would complain about getting his hands dirty and go on and on about his pores. Blaine, however, never mentioned a word about it, instead asking him questions about how certain things worked. It was nice. It was different.

"This might sound weird, but I wish, I wish I could just _be_ with my father like that." He waved his hand towards the car. "Just cars, just…I don't know, enjoying someone's company without it having to be about something else." Blaine's eyes grew distant, his mouth, Burt was used to seeing plastered with a smile, furrowed in a frown that reached far beyond his mouth.

Burt's heart went out to the kid; he couldn't imagine what it must be like for him. He gripped Blaine's shoulder and crouched down to his eye level.

"Hey," Burt's voice went as soft as his heart. "It's not your fault."

"I know. It's my dad's thing that he has to work through. It's not me, but…sometimes I wish I were straight, just so it would be easier, easier to _be_ around him."

"Look, I don't know your dad, but I'm getting to know you. You're a good person Blaine. Don't ever wish to be something you're not, be exactly who you are. Someday, someday your dad might get it. It is his thing to work through, you just be yourself, okay?"

Blaine nodded, biting back the tears welling in his eyes. Burt wrapped his arms around Blaine's shoulders, unsure of whether or not it would be okay, but Blaine fiercely gripped Burt. Burt felt tears wetting the shirt under Blaine's face and tried to give the boy a few comforting pats on the back.

"Thank you," Blaine whispered.

Burt wanted to be better. He knew that his acceptance of Kurt's sexuality, of his personality was huge, especially compared to Blaine's dad. Maybe the two of them could have a chat someday down the line. He wanted to be better for Kurt.

Fixing up that car with Blaine had been so easy, different from their previous conversations. He wanted that for him and Kurt. He wanted something they could share, something besides his health.

They tried cooking, they did, but Burt had two left feet in the kitchen, or two left hands? He wasn't sure. He didn't think he could ever get into fashion, and even if he did, it would all get ruined at work. But…

"Thanks again," Blaine stated when he returned from changing back into his clothes. Burt eyed Blaine for a moment.

"You gonna be here tomorrow too?"

"If that's alright," Blaine's cheeks tinged a faint pink. "I mean, I don't hav—,"

"No, I'd like that. You're always welcome here, Blaine."

"Oh, thank you," Blaine grinned and picked up his bag.

"Say, you, do you know anything about musicals?"

"I think it's safe to say I'm knowledgeable about them." Blaine chuckled a little, his normal spark glinting in his eyes.

"Could you maybe teach me a bit about them tomorrow?" Burt asked. Blaine's eyebrows shot to his forehead. "For…for Kurt. He's always going on about them and I thought it would be cool if we could, I don't know, talk about them."

Blaine beamed. _For Kurt_. A common theme in both their lives.

"I would love to teach you about musicals."

When Blaine left, Burt came to the conclusion that Blaine wasn't some fancy schmancy European sports car, he just looked like one. The manual was there and Burt was getting closer to finding it.


	3. Wednesday

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing! I make no money from this. I'm just having fun, cause that's what girls do, we just wanna have fun.

**A/N:** The song is "Without You" from RENT by Jonathan Larson. I don't own that either.

* * *

Burt makes decisions a lot. He makes hundreds, thousands, of decisions every day just at the shop. Most of them aren't terribly difficult and are easily fixed when Burt determines quality and a price point, but actively choosing to keep something from his son isn't something he ever expected to do.

He and Kurt, they haven't always had the greatest relationship, with Sam gone and them not having much in common…it's tough, but they try and they work at it. Sure, he may have hidden a few hospital bills from Kurt, but he's never kept something like this from his son, something that is so involved with Kurt, but somehow isn't.

Burt does tell Carole and when she agrees that it might not be best to tell Kurt just yet, he relaxes, but only a little.

If Burt were being completely honest with himself, he was a little scared of what was to come on Wednesday. This was the most he had ever and likely would ever put himself out for someone other than Kurt or one of the two women he had fallen in love with.

So far it had just been Blaine. Blaine being scared, Blaine being far more terrified than he was likely to ever admit.

Part of Burt liked that Blaine was a little afraid of him. Perhaps it showed respect, it showed that Blaine knew Burt was the one in charge, that he held all the power, both in their budding friendship, relationship, whatever this was, and in his friendship, relationship, whatever that was, that Blaine had with Kurt.

Burt had the power to say no. He had the power to stop Blaine being able to see Kurt.

The other part of him, the flip side of his protectiveness, extended to Blaine. Clearly his own father needed to work through some things if he thought working on a car might make his son straight.

Hell, the man had to work through some things for even trying.

He wanted to be there for the kid in a way on a father knows how or really understands. So he would let the boy continue, and perhaps he could grow a little closer to Kurt through his interactions with Blaine.

Kurt really liked Blaine; he may as well see what all the fuss is about.

Time inched by that afternoon. It seemed every task he completed somehow took less time than normal because each time he would look at the clock he swore time was going backwards.

When Blaine still hadn't arrived shortly after four thirty, worry set in, twisting through his stomach and resulting in an unexpected mild panic. Had something happened to Blaine or was he just caught in traffic? Surely he hadn't forgotten.

Burt mentally kicked himself as he realized he didn't even have the kid's number to be able to check in on him. For one crazy moment, he considered calling Kurt to get Blaine's number, but was saved when a gelled head appeared in the doorway.

Blaine moved slowly, delicately balancing a coffee tray with two cups in one hand and a boom box in the other with a guitar slung over his shoulder.

"Here, let me help," Burt stated as he rushed over and grabbed the coffee tilting out of Blaine's grasp.

"Thanks," Blaine muttered. "Sorry I'm a bit later than normal. It took a while to get everything ready."

Burt winced at the confession. This kid really went all out.

"Don't worry about it," Burt waved it off. "C'mon," Burt started as he turned Blaine towards the front offices, "as much as I would like to learn about musicals for my son, I don't think the rest of my staff wants to have this little lesson."

By the time Burt has Blaine's boom box plugged in the teen pulls out a stack of well-used, but well-cared for CDs from a bag that Burt was pretty sure the kid hadn't been carrying.

"You've got quite a collection," Burt stated, a little stunned. Blaine shrugged.

"This is actually only part of it. I have multiple recordings for most of these, different casts, but Kurt has a bunch of them right now." Blaine blushed a little and noticed the concerned look Burt was giving him.

"Oh! I don't mind," Blaine exclaimed. "He's just getting them into his iTunes and, yeah, I don't mind. He loans me stuff all the time, like pencils and then I feel bad because I almost always forget to give those back and Kurt can get a little testy about his pencils, but borrowing a pencil is hardly the same as borrowing a mint condition recording from the original cast of _Babes In Arms_…" Blaine trailed off.

Burt stared at the kid wondering what exactly had just happened.

"I'm sorry. I have a tendency to ramble sometimes."

Burt attempted to repress his smile, but a low chuckle escaped that turned into a loud bubbling laughter. Blaine's voice joined Burt's and they were soon howling with laughter, tears streaming down Burt's cheeks.

Burt took a few calming breaths before he was able to find his words.

"It's okay Blaine. Kurt can get that way sometimes, Finn too. Don't worry," Burt gave Blaine a pointed look, "you can be yourself."

"Thanks," Blaine replied, his voice somber despite the smile on his lips. What had this kid's dad done?

"Shall we begin?" Blaine's voice struck through Burt's thoughts. Burt nodded for Blaine to go ahead.

Approximately twenty-three minutes and forty-seven seconds later (not that Burt was counting or anything) Burt was completely and utterly confused. Blaine had spent time rattling off storylines and playing bits and pieces of songs from more musicals than Burt was sure actually existed.

The titles jumbled in his head in a twisted mess. Kate Get Your Gun or wait, no, it was Kiss Me, Kate wasn't it? Who was supposed to get her gun? It was a girl, Burt thinks, Annie maybe? Wait, wasn't that the little redheaded orphan? Maybe it was a sequel.

Needless to say, Burt was more than a little relieved when a knock interrupted Blaine's nonstop stream of explanations.

Blaine slammed his finger down on the pause button as Jeremy popped his head around the door. Jeremy raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on it.

"Hey Burt, sorry to interrupt, but we've got a situation with a customer up here…" Jeremy trailed off waiving towards the front counter where Burt could barely make out a flustered patron glaring in Jeremy's direction.

"Of course," Burt stated pulling himself up from his chair. "I'll be back in a few."

"No rush," Blaine nearly stumbled over the words as he settled back into his chair. Burt pulled the door closed behind him as he left.

It took fifteen minutes and a lot of haggling before the patron was finally satisfied. Burt muttered to himself about ungrateful cheapskates as he headed back to his office. He was about to open the door when he heard it.

Music was playing, but it wasn't coming from the boom box. Burt silently opened the door, grateful that Blaine wasn't facing him since he continued playing.

Blaine strummed a melancholy tune on his guitar, his voice softly wrenching out the emotional song.

_Without you, the hand gropes_

_The ear hears_

_The pulse beats_

_Without you, the eyes gaze_

_The legs walk_

_The lungs breathe_

_The mind churns_

_The heart yearns_

_The tears dry without you_

_Life goes on_

_But I'm gone_

_'Cause I'd die, without you_

_Without you_

Blaine let the last crooning note die with the reverberations from his guitar.

It was a sad song, a sweet song. It almost hurt Burt's heart to listen to it and the emotion Blaine put behind the song. It meant something to him.

Blaine let the silence surround him for a few moments, taking in a deep breath before shakily releasing it.

"That was really nice." Burt winced at how loud his voice sounded after the song. Blaine jumped a little and turned to face Burt, his cheeks flaring a bright red.

"Oh, uh, thanks. It's ummm, from Rent," Blaine explained. Burt raised an eyebrow in question. "Another musical. Kurt and I saw it together in November, shortly before the wedding."

Ah. That had been a busy time. Even before he proposed to Carole things were a bit hectic and then with all the Karofsky nonsense that happened.

"What's it about?"

"Love." Blaine didn't hesitate in his response, but his blush darkened further. "I…I should get going," he stuttered.

"Up to you." Burt shrugged. Blaine rummaged through the bag that had the CDs and pulled out a sheet of paper adorned with an extensive list with several of the titles highlighted.

"These are most of the major musicals," Blaine explained, handing the list to Burt. "I highlighted Kurt's favorites in case you wanted to do a little more research on them." Blaine's voice softened just barely as he said Kurt's name before going back to normal.

Burt looked over the list and found Rent to be among the titles highlighted.

"You sure you don't want to stay for a bit?"

"Yeah, I've got stuff to get done." Blaine shook a little as he packed up his belongings, refusing to meet Burt's eye. When he finished he met the older man's gaze. "I might not be by tomorrow. Since Dalton's spring break starts on Saturday I have a bunch of tests on Friday and…"

"That's alright. School comes first." Burt threw a crooked smile in Blaine's direction. "Blaine, I know that this, whatever this is, is a little strange, but don't feel like you have to come. You're welcome to visit anytime, but…"

"Yeah, thanks." Blaine flashed him with a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes and just like that he was gone.

Burt settled behind his desk, gazing at the place Blaine had been occupying. Burt was never the smart kid. He definitely wasn't the top of his class and sure, he didn't know music really, especially not the way Kurt did, but even he could tell that that song meant more than just words and sounds plucked from a guitar.

He wasn't terribly smart, but he wasn't an idiot—Blaine Anderson was in love with his son.


	4. Thursday

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything. I make no money from this, though I really wish I did because I really need to start paying back my student loans.

**A/N: **I need to address a question that has shown up in reviews and I think this part will make it clear, but Kurt and Blaine are not together in this story.

Also, I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all of you. Whether you just read or especially if you read and comment, I so greatly appreciate it. Your kind words have helped me believe in this story, so I'm very grateful to all of you!

There is only one chapter left in this story and I really hope you all enjoy where it ends up. Thanks for staying with me and my erratic updating schedule.

* * *

By the time Burt got home that night, he was questioning himself. Maybe he was wrong, the kid had gone after Rachel hadn't he and he remembers how put out Kurt was when Blaine was all over that Gap guy. He didn't really know how it all worked, if it showed differently when it was two guys, or if Blaine was just naturally that…emotional, Burt guessed might be the right word.

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Blaine wasn't in love with his son. Burt might prefer it if he wasn't. Blaine was a nice kid and all, but Kurt, Kurt was his son. He didn't need some kid with all these problems hiding just under the surface to come in and screw up his kid.

Burt didn't want to think about Kurt dating, not because Kurt would be dating another guy, but because the meant that somehow Kurt might need him a little less. Maybe Kurt wouldn't press as hard about Burt's diet or he'd be less likely to be at their Friday night dinners.

It seemed like only last week that he was having tea parties with his son in their backyard, munching on plastic sandwiches and making small talk with stuffed animals. Why couldn't Kurt have just stayed that young? That sweet.

The outside world didn't judge Kurt as much back then. Sure the kid preferred tea parties to games of tag, but the rest of the population could shrug that off as a phase, kids go through phases, and they weren't as judged harshly for them.

The first call he'd gotten last year had hurt. It hurt him to think that the rest of the world couldn't open their eyes enough to see that there was nothing wrong with his son, nothing wrong with the way he chose to love, not that he thinks Kurt chose to be gay, he knew that wasn't true.

He wished for a simpler time, when three-lettered words didn't make his stomach churn. When slicked up prep boys didn't come round his shop practically mooning over his son, missing him so much that even the kid's father is a good enough substitute if he can't have the real thing.

Burt did like Blaine. He was a good kid and he certainly meant well, but Blaine seemed about as oblivious to his feelings for Kurt as a person could be and that, more than anything else, made Burt nervous about whatever kind of relationship Blaine and Kurt had or might have.

Burt didn't tell Carole about his revelation, nor did he tell her about the conversation he had with the boy about musicals. This was something he'd like to keep to himself, at least until he had a few more things figured out.

Thursday afternoon descended upon Burt quicker than he thought, but paid little mind to the time as he works under a car. It wasn't until he slid out from under the car he was working on that he noticed the telltale Lima Bean cup set on his workstation.

Burt's eyes scanned the shop, finding Blaine sitting at one of the workstations, bent over a textbook, a Lima Bean cup next to his papers. Blaine was lost in the text and Burt didn't interrupt him.

He wiped off his hands and took a long drink from the cup. The coffee really was much better than what they had at the shop, he should really look into getting his grounds from the Lima Bean instead of the generic crap they usually have.

Blaine must have felt Burt's gaze on him because he looked up, immediately catching Burt's eyes. Burt almost looked away, but gave a slight nod in his direction.

"Thanks," Burt said, tilting his cup slightly in Blaine's direction. Blaine shrugged, shaking his head.

"It was no trouble." Blaine glanced between Burt and the pages below his fingers.

"What are you working on?"

"American History, it's quickly becoming the bane of my existence. My fault for taking AP classes right?" Blaine teased with a soft smile.

"AP classes. You have more than one?" Burt asked. He knew that the class selection was very different between Dalton and McKinley and that McKinley only had a handful of AP classes, and that Kurt had taken all of them by the time he'd started at Dalton.

"Yeah, I've got U.S. History, Music Theory, Psychology, Chemistry, Calc AB, and English Comp this year. Next year I'll be adding French, Econ both micro and macro, Lit, Environmental Science, and Calc BC to that list."

"Wow," Burt remarked, a little breathless. So the kid was damn smart, despite any social shortcomings he might have. "That's…"

"Insane?" Blaine asked, sighing deeply. "Yeah, I know."

"I was going to say ambitious, but I suppose insane works too." Burt glanced at Blaine's backpack, it was practically bursting at the seams with thick textbooks and worn notebooks. Blaine clicked his highlighter closed, drawing back completely from the book in front of him. "Shouldn't you be at home studying or something? You don't need to be here."

"Oh, no. My parents are used to me staying late at Dalton…studying," Blaine explained. Burt couldn't help his next question before it came out of his mouth.

"Why didn't you stay at Dalton to study then?" Burt thought about taking it back, especially after a blush tinged high on Blaine's cheeks.

"I…I like it here. It's not as tense as Dalton is sometimes. It's comfortable here," Blaine admitted. "It hasn't really been the same recently."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it's, I don't know, it's quieter since Kurt left." Blaine stared off into the distance for the moment as though contemplating what he really meant, before he shook himself of it.

Burt wanted to ask. He did, but seeing Blaine like this, the kid needed to study.

"You should get back to studying," Burt stated with a soft smile and a pat to the boy's back.

"You don't mind if I stay?"

"Whatever works for you." It seemed to, so Burt would leave him be…for now. The questions would need to be asked, but now didn't seem the appropriate time. Burt returned to his work, leaving Blaine to pore over his textbook.

Burt wondered whether the issue with Blaine was bigger than Kurt and it worried him. The kid didn't seem to be comfortable enough at home so he buried himself in work at school and now…now it didn't seem like he was even comfortable there anymore.

He appreciated the zero tolerance policy at Dalton; it kept him from trying to kill his son's peers for threatening to do the same to his kid, but he saw how the place changed Kurt.

Yeah, he had Blaine and that was really exciting for Kurt, but it was hard on him. He could tell that Dalton was a lot harder, plus he was away from his friends, and he didn't get to wear his normal clothes…it was kind of like, like he had to figure out how to fit into their mold when before he was fearless in just being himself.

Burt doesn't regret sending Kurt to Dalton, not for a second. Kurt wasn't safe at McKinley with that Karofsky kid running around shoving Kurt into lockers and issuing death threats. Kurt assured him that everything had been resolved with Karofsky when he made the decision to transfer back to McKinley.

There was absolutely no way Burt would have let his son go back to that place if it hadn't, though he remained uneasy about the situation. Kurt seemed happier and sadder now that he was back at McKinley. He'd made friends at Dalton, sure and he was hitting his stride there, but Burt could tell that Kurt wasn't completely happy there.

There was a sort of quiet sadness that Kurt exuded now, as though something had been taken from him. If that thing was Blaine…well…he was gonna have to have a conversation with Kurt. And if things…progressed between Blaine and his son, he was gonna have to have a more serious discussion with Blaine.

Six o'clock rolled around faster than Burt had expected and while Burt closed up shop, Blaine remained transfixed by his work. The teen had moved onto another thick textbook, one hand curled into his hair, fingers twisted in the gelled down locks as though he were going to pull at them at any moment.

Burt didn't entirely blame him; from the sound of his coursework he was amazed the kid even had time to spend on the Warblers, let alone hanging out with Kurt on a near daily basis.

After everyone had packed up for the day, Burt shuffled over to Blaine's makeshift study station and tapped the kid on the shoulder.

"We're closing up shop." Burt informed him. Blaine's eyes shifted a bit as he looked up from his text, a full-bodied yawn overtaking him. Blaine reminded him so much of Kurt in that moment, rubbing his eyes and stressing over his work. That's what he would tell himself later when he was wondering why on Earth he did what he did. "Say, kid, you wanna come over for dinner tonight? Carole's making a rotisserie chicken, we'd be happy to have you."

"Oh, I-I wouldn't want to uh im-impose," Blaine stammered, hastily shoving his textbook back in his backpack.

"It's alright, with Kurt and Finn gone it's a little quiet at home."

"O-okay, I just need to tell my parents." And it was settled; Blaine was coming over for dinner. Maybe Carole could help him figure out what was going on, two heads were better than one right?


	5. Friday

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**A/N:** Congratulations, you've made it to the final chapter. Thank you, dear reader, for coming on this journey with me. I know I've been absolute pants at updating this in a timely manner, and I think part of me was just sad to end this fic.

You're all wonderful and I hope you enjoy the end.

* * *

"You have a lovely home," Blaine stated, drinking in the sight of the living room upon Burt's return from the kitchen. Burt paused for a moment. "Kurt has great taste."

"How could you tell?" Burt asked, genuinely curious.

"Clean lines," Blaine made a show of pointing out examples as he spoke, "symmetry throughout, and small accents like those lamps and the blanket that add a softness to keep it from seeming cold."

"Yeah." Burt smiled, now that he thought about it, Blaine was right, it was exactly Kurt's style, and Burt wondered for a moment if Blaine was talking about more than just the room. "It is very him."

"Let me guess, no one's supposed to move the blanket so he's taught you all how to put it back exactly the way he wants it." Blaine gazed fondly at the blanket as he spoke. Burt let out a loud chuckle.

"You know my son well."

"Yes, well, he took it upon himself to reorganize my room a while back. I uh, I actually took pictures to make sure I put everything in its proper place anytime he comes over," Blaine confessed, blushing.

"That is a very good idea," Burt admitted, "and a great way to avoid his wrath. I swear, he's worse than his mother was. Kurt definitely takes after her in that department."

Blaine's head snapped up at the mention of Samantha, meeting Burt's gaze with a questioning glance. Burt stepped toward the fireplace and plucked a large silver frame off mantle handing it to Blaine.

Samantha and a toddler Kurt were on a park swing, hair blowing in the wind, a smile frozen on her lips, beautiful as ever.

"This is Kurt's mom?"

"Sam," Burt stated, a swell of emotion surging through him.

"She's beautiful," Blaine breathed. Burt nodded in agreement, not checking to see if Blaine noticed. "Kurt has her eyes."

Burt looked over at Blaine; registering his soft expression and the delicate way he held the picture frame, as though terrified that if he gripped it any harder the image would shatter.

He needed to ask Blaine. He had to know what was going on between them.

"Would she have cared?" Blaine's voice broke through Burt's thoughts, though the teen's eyes stayed on the picture. "That Kurt's gay, would she have cared?"

"She knew and she didn't care. I had a harder time with it, but, he's my son, I wouldn't have him any other way."

"Thank you," Blaine practically whispered, Burt almost didn't catch it.

"For what?" Burt asked and Blaine tore his eyes from the picture, meeting Burt's glance.

"For loving him anyway."

Ten minutes later, Burt was still holding on tightly as Blaine's hands clutched at the back of his shirt, his face buried against Burt's shoulder when Carole arrived in the living room to announce that dinner was ready.

It took another few minutes to get Blaine calmed down enough to eat and dinner passed without incident. Blaine was unfailingly polite throughout the meal despite having spent part of the evening sobbing into the should of his friend's dad.

After dinner, Blaine insisted on helping clean up the kitchen while Burt took a shower to wash the shop off.

Burt contemplated the situation as he let the hot water wash over him. He really did need to have a discussion with Blaine about what was going on between him and Kurt, but the more he got to know Blaine, the more he realized needed to talk to Blaine about his father. Potentially have a chat with Blaine's father.

He didn't particularly like getting involved with how other people raised their kids, heaven knew he hated it when anyone tried to tell him how Kurt should be handled. He was Kurt's father, thank you very much, and he was the one that got to decide those things, but it bothered him.

Blaine shouldn't have to look for acceptance from other people's parents. A parent's job was to love their kid and do whatever they can to make sure they stay relatively safe and happy—not to make them feel inadequate.

Sure, there were some aspects of Kurt's personality that Burt didn't really understand. Okay, more than some, like Kurt's interest in fashion, musicals, and men. He tried though. Like he told Kurt, it was his job to make it okay with himself, not Kurt's. Kurt just needed to keep being the beautiful, intelligent, and oh so talented boy that he was.

Burt knew that there were people who thought Kurt was lucky to have a dad as accepting as him, but the truth was, Burt was the lucky one. He raised a good kid. Sure, sometimes he chose slumber parties over family dinners, but he wasn't knocking people up, or stealing ATMs, or any number of the idiotic things he got up to at Kurt's age. He was a good kid, and so was Blaine.

Burt paused on the second to last stair as he heard Carole's clear voice asking the question Burt hadn't been able to.

"So, Blaine, is there something going on between you and Kurt?"

"Uhh," Blaine stammered, Burt could practically hear the blush in the boy's voice, "N-no, we're just friends. Just, just friends."

"Is that all you want to be?" Carole was much better at this type of discussion than Burt ever would be. Blaine didn't answer immediately, letting the silence grow after Carole's question. Burt leaned forward a little on the staircase, wanting to get closer without giving away his presence.

"Kurt needs a mentor right now," Blaine managed to say. Burt mentally scoffed, from what he could tell Blaine would probably benefit more from Kurt's mentorship than the other way around.

"I didn't ask what Kurt needed," Burt could hear the softness of Carole's words, a talent that came with motherhood it seemed, "I asked what you wanted."

The silence grew thick once more, before Blaine's unsteady voice cut through it.

"I don't know. I haven't, I mean, he's my friend, my best friend. I guess I haven't let myself wonder..." he trailed off.

"Perhaps you should." She paused, "it may not be my place to say this, but the strongest relationships are often built on a sturdy foundation of friendship."

Blaine hummed in response and Burt crept back up the stairs as quietly as possible before stomping back down them, creating as much noise as possible.

Blaine left shortly thereafter, needing to finish up some studying and get some rest before a day of testing. Carole, somehow, wasn't surprised in the least when Burt admitted to overhearing their conversation.

Friday passed by slowly. He was very, very much looking forward to this weekend and Kurt would be coming home in the afternoon. It was nice to have the kids out of the house for a little bit, good for a marriage too, but at the core of it he and Carole were both parents and they wanted their kids back.

Too soon they would really be gone, coming home for holiday visits, and spending the summer months lounging around the house. Too soon after that they'd be on their own, empty-nesters. Kids grown up into adults, adults living their own lives, starting their own families.

Burt tried not to go too far with that thought. A week of separation was more than enough for him right now.

He couldn't help the broad smile that lifted him from his not so pleasant thoughts when Blaine entered the shop, donning the usual two cups of coffee.

"We've got to stop meeting like this or else my son will get jealous," Burt joked. Blaine laughed, loud and carefree, nearly spilling his coffee.

"Don't worry about that, sir. Today's the last day I'll be dropping by here."

"Burt."

"What?"

"Call me Burt. You've earned it kid." Burt smiled softly at the teen. Blaine, for his part, scrunched up his eyes, his mouth tightening a little.

"Is Mr. Hummel okay? I'm not sure if..." Blaine trailed off.

"We can work up to it," Burt agreed with a wink. Blaine shifted, pulling out an envelope from the bag slung across his shoulder.

"I really just came by to give you these," Blaine stated as he handed over the envelope. Burt pulled it open, revealing two tickets, two expensive tickets, to an upcoming show of _Wicked_. "I got those as a surprise for Kurt a few weeks ago, but I...I think it'd be better if you went with him, put that musical knowledge to good use."

"Blaine, I can't accept—,"

"Yes, you can." Blaine's voice was firm."Kurt deserves to have this with you." Burt wasn't going to argue with that, but it made him wonder what conclusion, if any, Blaine might have come to in the hours since he last saw him.

"Thank you." It wasn't everything he wanted to say, but he'd found himself not saying a lot of things recently. Blaine made a half turn to leave before looking back at Burt.

"It's not all from his mom. Kurt's morality, his compassion. W-when I came to talk to you before, you said that he got that from his mom. He also got it from you." Blaine was moving away before Burt had time to process what he said.

It was now or never. Do or die. This was it.

"Blaine wait," Burt called after him. Blaine halted and took the few steps back to Burt. "Kurt's coming home tonight. I think it'd be a nice surprise for him if you came over. Y'know, if you want."

A small smile crept up Blaine's face.

"I'd like that."

"Come by round eight."

"Thank you si—Mr. Hummel." Blaine grinned, his infectious smile spreading to Burt as Blaine left the shop.

When the doorbell rang at eight, Burt insisted that Kurt get the door, much to his chagrin, but the excited squeal and the burst of laughter that followed was more than worth dealing with Kurt's sullen attitude about the task.

Burt let Kurt lead Blaine up to his room and Kurt knew the rules. The door stays open. After a few minutes, Burt stealthily climbed halfway up the stairs, far enough to hear and not be seen.

"I know it's not much, but I saw it and thought of you," Kurt admitted.

"Don't be silly, I love it. I love—," Blaine cut himself off. "Kurt," Blaine's voice rang through the air, softer than he'd ever heard it, "do you remember what you told me on Valentine's Day?"

"Of course," Kurt's voice was just as soft as Blaine and Burt recognized a hint of fear in his words.

"I...I did a lot of thinking while you were gone and," Blaine paused, "I'm ready for the rest of my life to start."

Burt didn't understand what that meant, but in the next moment he heard the unmistakable sound of a kiss and that was something he most definitely did not want to witness, or encroach upon.

Burt may not have understood the words that were said, but he understood the meaning behind them. Kurt loved Blaine, he'd known that for months now, but now. Now, Blaine loved Kurt too, and Burt thought that he might just be okay with that.

Love, after all, was love, and who was he to stand in the way of that.


End file.
